Can’t Touch This
Can’t Touch This avatar

By , on February 21st, 2013 One comment   Adaptations, Ecology, Evolution, Organisms   , , , , ,  

Chromodoris posing for thecutest picture ever taken. Source: NatGeo Another epic post from Alex Warneke, aka lil’ A Disposable nudibranch penises are all the rage this month thanks to a study published in the Royal Society’s journal Biology Letters. Undoubtedly a unique skill in the animal kingdom, there is just something about the phrase “detachable . . . → Read More: Can’t Touch This

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Cloaking Klingon Cephalopods
Cloaking Klingon Cephalopods avatar

By , on January 20th, 2013 2 comments   Adaptations, Cephalopods   , , , , ,  

The Klingon Bird of Preys were first introduced in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Two classes existed, the B’rel-class and the K’Vort-class, roughly scout and light cruiser classes. They were formidable ships, not only because of their lovable Klingon crews, forward torpedo launchers, and disruptor cannons, but because of their cloaking abilities*. . . . → Read More: Cloaking Klingon Cephalopods

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Watch helplessly from a mussel’s shell as it is slowly & inexorably consumed
Watch helplessly from a mussel’s shell as it is slowly & inexorably consumed avatar

By , on September 24th, 2012 16 comments   Reviews   , , ,  

This may be the coolest sea star predation video of all time. Watch helplessly from the mussel’s shell as the sea star’s stomach extrudes and begins to digest the mussel alive! Via Chris Mah. Echinoderms: Sea Star Time-lapse: Eating Mussel from Shape of Life on Vimeo.

With a snail’s help a fish transitions from dying to dead
With a snail’s help a fish transitions from dying to dead avatar

By , on July 6th, 2012 Leave a comment   Adaptations, Ecology, Fish, Organisms   , , , , ,  

Like manna from heaven, food from above rains on the deep. Those productive shallow waters full of light, photosynthesis, and food are an extreme contrast to their dark abyssal brethren. With such commodities as nourishment afforded by light absent, any carbon falling to the deep is vital. And more importantly, carbon is never wasted. A . . . → Read More: With a snail’s help a fish transitions from dying to dead

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Coordinated Hunting in Red Devils
Coordinated Hunting in Red Devils avatar

By , on June 5th, 2012 3 comments   Adaptations, Cephalopods, Ecology, New Research, Organisms   , , , , , ,  

With just reason Humboldt or Jumbo Squid are called Diablo Rojo. The skin of Dosidicus gigas is blood red but can change to bone white. These massive squids, the third largest of all squids, forage for prey in the dark of night, which they take down with two long tentacles covered in teeth. If the . . . → Read More: Coordinated Hunting in Red Devils

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What’s In Your Stomach?
What’s In Your Stomach? avatar

By , on March 1st, 2012 One comment   Conservation & Environment, Dumping, Ecology, Evolution, Fish, Organisms   , , , , , , , , , ,  

With Mardi Gras recently passing, I was privileged to partake of a King Cake graciously offered by a coworker. Originally European in tradition, the riche brioche-style cake is now also popular along the Gulf coast. King Cakes are recognizable from nearly 3 miles away by the patches of green, purple, and gold sugar that top . . . → Read More: What’s In Your Stomach?

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TGIF – Fish Versus “Sargassum”
TGIF – Fish Versus “Sargassum” avatar

By , on November 18th, 2011 4 comments   Adaptations, Fish   , ,  

From the always epic National Geographic youtube stream.

San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator
San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator avatar

By , on October 23rd, 2011 3 comments   Ecology, Microbes   , , , , , , ,  

GET IN MAH BELLY! These huge predatory dinoflagellates have consumed smaller bioluminescent dinoflagellates. The red tide that has lit San Diego for several weeks is ending in a microscopic bloodbath. The above photo was taken by Linsey Sala, the manager of the Pelagic Invertebrates Collection at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She writes: This image was . . . → Read More: San Diego red tide eaten alive by single-celled predator

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Anemones Fight Back Against Their Opressors
Anemones Fight Back Against Their Opressors avatar

By , on July 12th, 2011 Leave a comment   Adaptations, Organisms   , , , ,  

From van der Meij and Reijnen (2011) Fig. 1 a–e The unsuccessful attempt of an edwardsiid sea anemone to feed on a Nembrotha lineolata. f A non-responsive Phyllidia ocellata caught by the tentacles of an edwardsiid sea anemone You may not realize that those unassuming slugs of the oceans, nudibranchs, are voracious predators in hiding. . . . → Read More: Anemones Fight Back Against Their Opressors

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TGIF: Portuguese Man-O-War Feeding
TGIF: Portuguese Man-O-War Feeding avatar

By , on July 8th, 2011 2 comments   Adaptations, Organisms, Pictures and Movies   , , , , , ,  

Despite being stung by one of them on a Gulf beach as a kid, Portugese Man-O-War’s are still one of my favorite organisms. Hat tip to @echinoblog for the link to this video of a Portugese Man-O-War capturing a fish. Remember this species is colonial and made of four different polyps or zooids, working . . . → Read More: TGIF: Portuguese Man-O-War Feeding

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